Felix Hirsiger and Finn Zulauf – the 2026 ADAC GT Masters champions

Felix Hirsiger and Finn Zulauf are the 2026 ADAC GT Masters champions. In the final race of the season at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the duo left nothing to chance, winning the race in commanding fashion and securing the title with a 13-point lead. With five wins, two podium finishes and five pole positions, Hirsiger from Switzerland and Zulauf from Königsstein im Taunus have secured the second title in the history of the ADAC GT Masters for the Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport. “We are the 2026 ADAC GT Masters champions. We really wanted to be able to say exactly that at the end of the year. To become champions straight away on our first attempt is more than we could ever have dreamed of,” beams Hirsiger. Team-mate Zulauf has two reasons to celebrate, as he has also won the ‘Road to DTM’. “It’s a really cool story that, following my success in the ADAC GT4 Germany, I’ve now also won the ADAC GT Masters, making me the first driver to have won the ‘Road to DTM’ in both championships,” explains Zulauf. “I’m very grateful to the ADAC for allowing me to keep climbing this ladder of success. A big thank you once again goes to our Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport. They gave their all throughout the season and also in the final – and that goes for all the people working behind the scenes, who were absolutely vital to our success.”

The odds on the Lamborghini duo winning the title would probably not have been very high before the season began. Although 22-year-old Zulauf already had a victory from the previous season to his name, Hirsiger had hardly any experience in a GT3 car and their team had last won the ADAC GT Masters in 2011. Internally, however, there was never any doubt. “The trust was there right from the start,” recalls Zulauf. “I’d seen his on-board videos and knew I could stay relaxed when Felix was in the car.”

This was confirmed as early as the first weekend at the Red Bull Ring. With a spectacular victory and another podium finish, the duo took the lead in the standings, followed by further successes at Zandvoort and the Nürburgring. Hirsiger and Zulauf cemented their status as the absolute favourites at the Salzburgring when they charged through the entire field from the back of the grid to ultimately celebrate their fourth win of the season. “Finn and I were in a league of our own in that race; we delivered performances we’d never managed before, even though we’d already won. That spoke for itself,” recalls 28-year-old Hirsiger. “That wasn’t just another win; it’s on a par with our victory at the Red Bull Ring in the final corner.”

The duo see their very similar driving styles and the great rapport and harmony between them as their greatest strengths. “There was never any room for ego between us,” explains Hirsiger. Furthermore, the pair were unconditionally honest with one another in all situations and did not hold back with criticism. Their focus was always on never losing sight of the fun and, even in difficult moments, never attacking the other personally.

Zulauf takes a similarly thoughtful approach to his private life. Alongside his career in motorsport, the 22-year-old has decided to study business administration. “Competitive sport is wonderful, but you mustn’t blindly rely on it continuing indefinitely. This degree opens up many opportunities for me,” explains Zulauf. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing and goes jogging very often. He pays meticulous attention to his diet and usually cooks his own meals to keep a precise track of ingredients and nutritional values. His meticulousness is also reflected in strict schedules and a little quirk. “For example, I can only drive when the air conditioning is set to 20 or 22 degrees – it always has to be an even number – and the same goes for the TV volume. That’s non-negotiable for me,” laughs the 22-year-old.

He took his first steps in motorsport at the age of seven, when his parents gave him a go-kart. Since then, he has steadily worked his way up. In 2020, he made the switch to a racing car and, just one year later, he was competing in the ADAC GT4 Germany series. It was there that he achieved his first major success in motorsport: in 2024, he was crowned champion alongside Josef Knopp and, at the same time, won the ‘Road to DTM’. Since 2025, he has been competing in the ADAC GT Masters, where he has also impressed. On his very first race weekend, he secured pole position, followed by four more, as well as a total of six wins and three podium finishes.

Hirsiger was introduced to motorsport by his father, who passed away in 2022. Every Sunday, it was straight to the karting track, and his efforts were soon rewarded with two national championship titles. This was followed by two years in French Formula 4, but for financial reasons his motorsport career came to a temporary halt and Hirsiger found a new home in cycling. Thanks to sponsors and money from friends, he managed at least the odd outing in the DTM Trophy or the Porsche Carrera Cup, though his main focus was on driver coaching so as not to lose touch with motorsport. The turning point came in 2024 when he won the Porsche Sports Cup Suisse championship, which was crowned just one year later by the title in the Ferrari Challenge Europe.

For the Swiss driver, however, motor racing is much more than just driving. “What fascinates me immensely is the mental aspect behind it,” explains the 28-year-old. His role models in this regard have been Jenson Button and Jim Clark, and currently Lewis Hamilton. “He’s a phenomenon when it comes to mental strength, and I’d love to take a leaf out of his book.” In his private life, Hirsiger loves a bit of a risk and openly admits it. Together with two friends and an investor, he owns a car dealership in the Swiss canton of Zug, dealing in everyday cars as well as luxury and sports cars. Labour-intensive days in the car trade, combined with numerous weekends at the racetrack and the associated training, leave him with hardly any free time. There is just one thing the successful businessman always makes time for: spending time with his family.